1st Day of Spring: Go Outside

It’s not officially spring yet but it will be by the time you wake up on Wednesday March 20. The vernal equinox in the Northwest is subtle — no great riots of color or huge swaths of sunshine. In fact, we consider ourselves very lucky when we have a sunny day in March. I’m a Southern girl with a spring birthday and every year I can’t help but be just a little disappointed in spring, at least its not-so-grand entrance.

I know it may not look like spring but the plants know better. Looking out the window at the rain coming down on the bulbs and flowering trees, I’m having a hard time even convincing myself to go out even though tiny buds are appearing every day. The biggest lesson I’ve learned, aside from how to dress for this weather (yes, rain jackets do work — no need to go as far as an umbrella), is that there are often beautiful, even sunny moments but you have to go out in it to fully appreciate it. Not only do you need to go outside, you should walk slowly and look carefully or you might miss it altogether. Viewing out the window or from your car just doesn’t hack it.

By March, we seem to have forgotten that exposure to natural sunlight, even if it’s still cold and wet, is one of the best ways to ward off the late winter blahs. Just when the gloom and gray seems to have settled in for the long haul, the sun makes an appearance and you can sense the hope in all the faces you see.